The initiative gained momentum during the school’s own Centennial Celebration, where Phyllis White Cherbonnier ’39, then 102, delivered a memorable video message that brought laughter to the October 2023 celebration: “Congratulations, Burroughs, but I beat you to it!” 

The program has since evolved into a comprehensive five-pronged approach to support and celebrate our alums from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. The school actively seeks to reconnect with graduates from 60 or more years ago, facilitating virtual class gatherings for reunion years. Recent successes include Zoom meetings for the classes of 1950 and 1955, celebrating their 75th and 70th reunions respectively. The initiative also includes our annual happy hour for Burroughs alums from the 1950s and 60s (and their alum “kids”), holiday poinsettia deliveries to local alumni, and special recognition of new centenarians, complete with congratulatory letters from the head of school and announcements in assembly. 

The importance of these connections is underscored by Robert Day ’45, PhD, a psychotherapist with degrees from Princeton, Seattle Pacific University, and Washington University in St. Louis. Along with his wife Karen and brother Virgil Day ’51, both practicing psychotherapists, he emphasizes that maintaining connections with “early life” friends and acquaintances is crucial for both mental and physical well-being as we age. These relationships, formed during our most formative years, often prove to be our most profound and enduring connections. 

Celebrating Our Centenarians 

The Burroughs Centenarian Society celebrates an extraordinary group of alumni who have reached the remarkable age of 100 years or more. These distinguished individuals have witnessed and participated in transformative moments in history, from the school’s founding days to the modern era. 

To date, 24 Burroughs alums have achieved this remarkable milestone, representing 1.5% of graduating classes from 1927 to 1943. Eric P. Newman ’28, who was present on the school’s very first day of classes in 1923, holds the distinction of being the society’s eldest member, living to the impressive age of 106. Today, Cherbonnier, residing in Chicago at age 103, is the society’s oldest living member, alongside Beverly Black Keith-Howes ’42 (Santa Rosa, California), Nancy Knight Outten ’43 (Lincoln, Massachussetts), and Thelma Probstein Zalk ’42 (St. Louis). 

Through the Centenarian Society and Senior Alumni Engagement & Connection Initiative, Burroughs continues to honor its oldest graduates, preserving their stories and fostering meaningful connections that enrich our entire community. Their century-long journeys serve as powerful reminders that a life well-lived knows no bounds, and their influence continues to inspire new generations of JBS students.